you to be bearers of the Gospel in yourfamilies. Do not forget, my Children,to read Sacred Scripture. Put it in avisible place and witness with your lifethat you believe and live the Word ofGod. I am close to you with my love,and I intercede before my Son for eachof you. Thank you for responding to mycall.”

Bearers of the Gospel

“Zacchaeus, make haste and come

down, for I must stay at your house today”(Lk 19:5), says Jesus, and Zacchaeusreceives Him with joy and the encounterchanges his life as Jesus confirms: “Todaysalvation has come to this house” (Lk19:9). “Jesus Christ is the same yesterdayand today and for ever” (Heb 13:8), andtoday like then, Jesus comes to look for andsave those who are lost (cf. Lk 19:10).

Jesus comes to ask if he can enter our

home. Our home is our heart, our soul, ourfamily, our house. Jesus comes and bringssalvation, but we cannot receive it withinour sitting room. He comes to establishhimself in our life, to be our Life. Theencounter with Him ought to radicallychange our life. The change is notnecessarily instantaneous, but theencounter with Him must be the beginningof a process of real conversion. The timesand ways may vary from person to person,but there is only one way and that iscommunion with Christ Jesus.

Mary invites us to be bearers of the

Gospel in our families, that is, to acceptJesus - the Word made flesh, the Word ofLife - into our families. When He ismissing, it is light, wisdom, peace and lovethat are missing. We can find surrogates,but these would be temporary andinadequate remedies, and sooner or laterineffective remedies. In God alone does mysoul rest, from him comes my salvation [Ps61 (62)]. This rest for the soul is surrenderto God: necessary for communion withJesus Christ, necessary for communion inthe family and the Church, fundamental forthe Kingdom of God.

The invitation to be bearers of the

Gospel in our families,is addressed toeach and all of us: father, mother, son,daughter, brother, sister. Each must bringthe Gospel to each other so he can live hisrole to the full (cf. Mk 3:35). This way,Christ will be all in all (cf. Col 3:11). Donot forget, my Children, to read SacredScripture. The reading of, and the listening

to the Word is a channel of communicationbetween man and God; it is a dispositionto be open to His grace; it is to immerseoneself in His Spirit.

Mary had already asked us to place the

Bible in a visible place (18 Oct. 1984; 25Aug. 1996), to be bearers of the Word ofGod (25 Aug. 1996), to read it and live it(25 Aug. 1993; 25 Aug. 1996), to read itat home (18 Oct. 1984; 14 Feb. 1985; 25June 1991; 25 Aug. 1996). Today she againinvites us to place it in a visible place andwitness with our life that we believe andlive the Word of God. The Bible (in avisible place) at home is a banner thatexpresses our belonging to the heavenlyHomeland. It is a declaration of our identityas children of God in Jesus Christ. Thisdeclaration, however, must be authenticatedby the witness of a life that imitates Hislife, that follows in His steps, that carriesthe perfume of Christ.

Though we are aware of the infinite

distance between what we are and whatwe are called to be, between our humanityand Your divinity, Jesus, we shall not stopbeneath the weight of our poverty andmisery. With serenity and humility wedesire journeying with You Lord. Mary isnear us and intercedes for each of uswith her Love. In her hands our limitsoffered up to You will become fuel for thefire of Your Love. Thank you Jesus; thankyou Mary!

Nuccio Quattrocchi

“Lent is a privileged time

of interior pilgrimage

towards Him Who is

the fount of mercy.”

Benedict XVI

Our Lady’s message, 25 Feb.2006:

”Dear Children, In this Lenten time

of grace, I call you to open your heartsto the gifts that God desires giving you.Do not be closed, but with prayer andrenunciation say ‘yes’ to God and Hewill give to you in abundance. Just ast h e e a r t h o p e n s t o t h e s e e d i nspringtime and yields a hundredfold,so will your heavenly Father give to youin abundance. I am with you, myChildren, and I love you tenderly.Thank you for responding to my call.”

Say Yes to God

Each year the Church unites herself to

the Mystery of Jesus in the wilderness byway of the solemn forty days of Lent (cf.Catechism of the Catholic Church, no.540). In this Lenten time of grace, I callyou to open your hearts to the gifts thatGod desires giving you. Lent is a specialtime of grace which we ought to cherishby living this time with an open heart.Being mere spectators is not enough; wemust be players. It is a salvific time, andwe must enter the mystery that wecontemplate, be a living and active part ofthe mystery. Do not be closed, but withprayer and renunciation say ‘yes’ toGod.

The call that Mary continues to address

us from Medjugorje is particularly pressingthis time, but also laden with promises. Ifyou have already said ‘yes’ to God, renewyour ‘yes,’ entrust it to the Baptist in thewaters of the Jordan, that the heavenlyFather may bless it. If you have forgottenthe ‘yes’ said time ago, be now reconciledwith God (cf. 2 Co 5:20). If you have yetto say your ‘yes’, say it now, right now;you are still in time. May each of us openhis heart to God: with prayer andrenunciation say ‘yes’ to God.

The ‘yes’ that God awaits from us is

the, Behold, be it done unto me accordingto Thy word: the response Mary entrustedto the Angel (Lk 1:38). It is the Behold, Icome, oh Father, to do Thy will,pronounced by Jesus (Heb 10:7-9, Mk14:36). It is not a matter of repeatingformulas, or of inventing new ones, but ofletting ourselves be reached by Godthrough prayer and renunciation. And thenof remaining with Him, communicatingwith Him, just as Jesus did, as Mary did.We must renounce the voices that drownout His Voice, the lights that cloud overHis Light, the loves that destroy true Love,the riches that dissipate true Wealth, thehopes that suffocate true Hope.Renunciation equals fasting.

it is to plunge oneself in God, to beshipwrecked in His Love. To pray is topraise God in all circumstances, in joy andsorrow, fatigue and rest, health andsickness, because He is always by our side,even when we are not aware of it. We arenever alone; Jesus is with us every day…until the end of the world.

In this time of grace let us say yes to

God, and renew our baptismal promises:our faith in Christ and our rejection of Satanand all his works and seducing ways. Letus seek out the forgiveness of our sins inthe sacrament of confession to bereconciled with God and with our brethren.Let us seek in the holy Eucharist the gift oflife in Christ and the strength to offerourselves to God for the sake of ourbrethren. Do not be closed, but withprayer and renunciation say ‘yes’ to Godand He will give to you in abundance.Yet, His gift has already been given us: itis there before us, within us even, andawaits only to be recognized and accepted.It is Jesus Christ Himself!

Just as the earth opens to the seed in

springtime and yields a hundredfold, soour heart opens up to God’s Kingdom thatdescends as rain on the grass, as showersfalling gently on the land – so that in theworld, justice will blossom and peace willabound (cf. Ps 71:6-7).

Mary is with us and loves us

tenderly: tender like a new bud inspringtime, like the Life in her thatblossoms and is donated to us. It is thebud of the root of Jesse (Is 11:1) thatawaits to blossom in us.

N.Q.

It was a day in spring

He died a year ago, and it seems like

yesterday. Then, we felt orphaned, but hispresence is so strong that now we almostdon’t miss him. Yet how we feared to losehim! and how many times did we thinkanother pope could never replace him, soused we were to his way of guiding theChurch.

The events contradict us: JOHN PAUL

II continues his mission from his place inheaven. He is free at last of a body whichhad become too cumbersome for his soulwhich instead was ready to give himself ina more radical way for his children. And inhis place we have been given a new Pontiffof similar stature.

Usually on an anniversary, especially

if it’s the first, many words flow for theoccasion. The following words werewritten two days before the death of PopeWojtyla. They are still steeped in thespontaneity of the moment, and express thecommotion of a heart filled with gratitudeas it prepares itself to bid goodbye to itsbeloved father.

Rome 1st April 2005

“The world is an altar that sings glory

to God with the beauty of nature, in asingular and unique melody expressed inthe glimmer of the stars, the voice ofrunning water, the warmth of a fire,enflaming the Creator’s passion of joy forHis creation. The earth is an altar; it

nourishes the living beings, and gives lightto the many spring times in the heart of aman that opens up to the infinite love, thatunique and unrepeatable miracle that lightsup every fraction of time.

Man, God’s beloved and chosen

creature, blossoms as the spring and opensup to the light and warmth of the sun toreveal the beauty of the infinite colours andtheir multiple nuances enhanced by a soulin God’s grace, radiating the beauty and theperfume around him as a corolla of aflower.

John Paul II, authentic man, completed

by God, donned with a robe woven in themost precious fabric: the fabric of truth. Itpurifies the peoples and sustains them whenthey totter. John Paul II, pilgrim of theworld, in a single embrace you build upGod’s people, mending lacerations anddistances in hearts. You offered up yourown heart, completely, and for everyonewithout distinction. And in your self-offering your heart was lacerated even moreand it poured out upon us the love of theFather.

You are as a precious flower that

blossoms in the holy spring time, sanctifiedby the passion and resurrection of JesusChrist; you came into full bloom to berobed in light for our sake, to bring us allto God, in His infinite glory.

Thank you Holy Father: Friend,

Brother, Father, Mother!”

Tommaso C.

Pope’s First Encyclical

A God who is Only Love

A pope’s first encyclical is said to be

programmatic, a kind of manifesto of thestyle that Peter’s successor desires giving tothe Church during his pontificate. And howcould one not see in the title of PopeBenedict’s document the will to begin fromthe foundation of Christianity: God is love(1Jn 4:16), so that this humanity ever moredivided amid the sea of options proposed bysociety might be shown the tracks that leadto God.

It is only from this statement that one

can begin to comprehend the mystery of aGod who took on flesh and died on a crossto save his own children. It is only in thislight that one can accept the precepts of afaith that invites us to continually welcome,comprehend and have mercy on one and all,including enemies. Only in the perspectiveof the love of God - who is love - can anyorder be made of the bazaar of “loves” thatman procures to satisfy the deep yearninghe experiences in his heart.

A problem of language

“Today, the term “love” has become one

of the most frequently used and misused ofwords, a word to which we attach quitedifferent meanings,” begins the Pope, whothen asks a question: “Are all these forms oflove basically one, so that love, in its manyand varied manifestations, is ultimately asingle reality, or are we merely using the same

word to designate totally differentrealities?” The Pope’s response issupported by the definition ofGod as love: “The name of Godis sometimes associated withvengeance or even a duty ofhatred and violence… For thisreason, I wish in my firstEncyclical to speak of the lovewhich God lavishes upon us andwhich we in turn must share with others.”

Which love are we talking about?

Love as charitas, charity, love in its

fullest form, made up of worldly love, eros(ascending, possessive or covetous love)together with love grounded in and shapedby faith: agape (descending, oblative love).Two elements, typically thought to becontrasting, yet they can never be completelyseparated: “Were this antithesis to be takento extremes, the essence of Christianitywould be detached from the vital relationsfundamental to human existence, and wouldbecome a world apart. Yet eros and agapecan never be completely separated. The morethe two, in their different aspects, find aproper unity in the one reality of love, themore the true nature of love in general isrealized,” says the Holy Father.

Purification leads to true love

Benedict doesn’t avoid warning us of

the dangers of degraded love to which theworld today has become accustomed, that wemight attain the love which promises infinityand eternity. “Purification and growth in

maturity are called for; and thesealso pass through the path ofrenunciation. Far from rejectingor “poisoning” eros, they heal itand restore its true grandeur,” hepoints out. “NowadaysChristianity of the past is oftencriticized as having been opposedto the body; and it is quite truethat tendencies of this sort have

always existed. Yet the contemporary way ofexalting the body is deceptive. Eros, reducedto pure “sex”, has become a commodity, amere “thing” to be bought and sold, or rather,man himself becomes a commodity.” He thenadds: “True, eros tends to rise “in ecstasy”towards the Divine, to lead us beyondourselves; yet for this very reason it calls fora path of ascent, renunciation, purification andhealing.”

Harmony of love

The challenge of eros is overcome when

both body and soul live in harmony. “Love isindeed ecstasy, not in the sense of a momentof intoxication, but rather as a journey, anongoing exodus out of the closed inward-looking self towards its liberation throughself-giving, and thus towards authentic self-discovery and indeed the discovery of God.”

It is part of love’s growth towards higher

levels and inward purification that it seeks tobecome definitive, and fully realize its humanand divine promise. “Man is truly himselfwhen his body and soul are intimately united;the challenge of eros can be said to be trulyovercome when this unification is achieved,”says Papa Ratzinger.

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Giving of self out of love

The first part of the Encyclical is

concerned with redefining the meaning of loveso that its true essence may be evident. AChristian, though, is also challenged to lovehis neighbour as himself. Thus, Christianshave always given utter importance to “worksof charity.” Awareness of this responsibilityhas had a constitutive relevance in the Churchfrom the beginning, and numerous are thereligious institutions founded on assisting theneedy in body and spirit. “It is only throughserving the poor that my eyes are able to seewhat God does for me and how He loves me,”continues Peter’s Successor. However, he alsomakes it clear that when charity isn’t rootedin a personal relationship with God it is a formof social assistance. Charity work, he explains,must be more than mere philanthropy.

Mother Teresa and other saints

The saints are a living testimony to this.

“In the example of Bl. Teresa of Calcutta wehave a clear illustration of the fact that timedevoted to God in prayer not only does notdetract from effective and loving service toour neighbour but is in fact the inexhaustiblesource of that service,” emphasizes the Popewhile he specifies that love of God and loveof neighbour cannot be separated, but are asole commandment. “Love of neighbourwill no longer be for (us) a commandmentimposed from without, but a consequencederiving from (our) faith, a faith whichbecomes active through love.” Love growsthanks to love.

Charity always more than only activity

“If I give away all I have, and if I deliver

my body to be burned, but do not have love,I gain nothing” (1 Co 13) says St. Paul in hisode to charity, which according to the Popehas to be, “the Magna Carta of all ecclesialservice; it sums up all the reflections on lovewhich I have offered throughout thisEncyclical Letter. Practical activity willalways be insufficient, unless it visiblyexpresses a love for man, a love nourishedby an encounter with Christ. My deeppersonal sharing in the needs and sufferingsof others becomes a sharing of my very selfwith them: if my gift is not to prove a sourceof humiliation, I must give to others not onlysomething that is my own, but my very self;I must be personally present in my gift.”

Serving others correctly leads tohumility

The one who serves does not consider

himself superior to the one served, howevermiserable his situation at the moment maybe. “Christ took the lowest place in the world- the Cross - and by this radical humility heredeemed us and constantly comes to our aid.Those who are in a position to help otherswill realize that in doing so they themselvesreceive help; being able to help others is nomerit or achievement of their own. This dutyis a grace. The more we do for others, themore we understand and can appropriate thewords of Christ: ‘We are useless servants’ (Lk17:10). The more we are aware of bringingGod to others as a gift, the more effective willour love be in changing the world.”

Editor

Pope sings Mary’s praises

Benedict concludes his Encyclical with

praise for Mary, “Mother of the Lord andmirror of all holiness.” To Mary, whoknitted love into every moment of her life,who became the mother of Love, arededicated the last words of his letter onlove. His words are full of grace and tenderlove for the little woman of Nazareth.

“In the Gospel of Luke we find her

engaged in a service of charity to her cousinElizabeth… ‘My soul magnifies the Lord’(Lk 1:46)

. In these words she expresses her

whole programme of life: not settingherself at the centre, but leaving space forGod, who is encountered both in prayer andin service of neighbour - only then doesthe world become good.

Mary is great because she wants to

magnify God, not herself. She is lowly: heronly desire is to be the handmaid of theLord. She knows that she will onlycontribute to the salvation of the world if,rather than carrying out her own projects,she places herself completely at thedisposal of God’s initiatives.

Mary is a woman of hope: only

because she believes in God’s promises andawaits the salvation of Israel, can the angelvisit her and call her to the decisive serviceof these promises.

Mary is a woman of

faith: ‘Blessed are you whobelieved,’ Elizabeth says toher. The Magnificat - aportrait, so to speak, of hersoul - is entirely woven fromthreads of Holy Scripture,threads drawn from the Wordof God. Here we see howcompletely at home Mary iswith the Word of God, withease she moves in and out ofit. She speaks and thinks withthe Word of God; the Word ofGod becomes her word, andher word issues from the Wordof God. Here we see how her thoughts areattuned to the thoughts of God, how herwill is one with the will of God. Since Maryis completely imbued with the Word ofGod, she is able to become the Mother ofthe Word Incarnate.

Finally, Mary is a woman who loves.

How could it be otherwise? As a believerwho in faith thinks with God’s thoughts andwills with God’s will, she cannot fail to bea woman who loves. We sense this in her

quiet gestures, as recounted by the infancynarratives in the Gospel. We see it in thedelicacy with which she recognizes theneed of the spouses at Cana and makes itknown to Jesus. We see it in the humilitywith which she recedes into the backgroundduring Jesus’ public life, knowing that theSon must establish a new family and thatthe Mother’s hour will come only with theCross, which will be Jesus’ true hour (cf.Jn 2:4; 13:1)

. When the disciples flee, Mary

will remain beneath the Cross; later, at thehour of Pentecost, it will be they who gatheraround her as they wait for the Holy Spirit(cf. Acts 1:14).

Mary has truly become the Mother of

all believers. Men and women of everytime and place have recourse to hermotherly kindness and her virginal purityand grace, in all their needs and aspirations,their joys and sorrows, their moments ofloneliness and their common endeavours.They constantly experience the gift of hergoodness and the unfailing love which shepours out from the depths of her heart. Thetestimonials of gratitude, offered to herfrom every continent and culture, are arecognition of that pure love which is notself-seeking but simply benevolent. At thesame time, the devotion of the faithfulshows an infallible intuition of how suchlove is possible: it becomes so as a result

of the most intimate union withGod, through which the soul istotally pervaded by him - acondition which enables thosewho have drunk from the fountainof God’s love to become in theirturn a fountain from which ‘flowrivers of living water’ (Jn 7:38).

Mary, Virgin and Mother,

shows us what love is and whenceit draws its origin and itsconstantly renewed power. To herwe entrust the Church and hermission in the service of love:

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

you have given the world its true light,Jesus, your Son - the Son of God.You abandoned yourself completely toGod’s call and thus became a wellspringof the goodness which flows forth from him.Show us Jesus. Lead us to him.Teach us to know and love him,so we too can become capable of truelove and be fountains of living water inthe midst of a thirsting world.

Benedict XVI

WHAT THE POPE THINKS OF...

the potter and of the sculptorwho “fashions” and moulds his

THE EMBRYO

Let’s take a psalm (138), and we’ll

see how in the psalm the human being,while still an unformed presence in thewomb, is the subject of the Creator’sloving gaze. He is still an “unformedsubstance” in his mother’s womb:described in that term as a small, oval,curled-up reality, but on which God hasalready turned his benevolent and lovingeyes.

In the psalm there is the symbol of

artistic creation, his masterpiece. “

The idea in our psalm that God

already sees the entire future of thatembryo, still an ‘unformed substance,’is extremely powerful,” he commented.“The days which that creature will liveand fill with deeds throughout his earthlyexistence are already written in theLord’s book of life.” Thus, once againthe transcendent greatness of divineknowledge emerges, embracing not onlyhumanity’s past and present but also thespan, still hidden, of the future.

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Echo 186

Life, a gift we cannot waste

is close the conscience of motherswho are often deceived intobelieving that their newly

rather to understand what happened andface it honestly. If you have not alreadydone so, give yourselves over with humilityand trust to repentance... You will come tounderstand that nothing is definitively lostand you will also be able to ask forgivenessfrom your child, who is now living in theLord...” (Evangelium Vitae, 99)

John Paul II: “...[In] firmly rejecting

“pro-choice” it is necessary to becomecourageously “pro-woman,” promoting achoice that is truly in favour of women. Itis the woman who pays the highest price,not only for her motherhood, but even morefor (...) the suppression of the life of thechild who has been conceived. The onlyhonest stance is that of radical solidaritywith the woman. It is not right to leave heralone. The experiences of manycounselling centres show that the womandoes not want to suppress the life of thechild she carries within her. If she issupported in this attitude, and if she is freedfrom the intimidation of those around her,then she is even capable of heroism.”(Crossing the Threshold of Hope)

Benedict XVI: “In man, whatever his

stage or condition of life, there shines areflection of God’s own reality. For thisreason, the Magisterium of the Church hasconstantly proclaimed the sacred andinviolable nature of each human life, fromconception to natural end. This moraljudgement also holds at the beginning ofan embryo’s life, even before it isimplanted in the mother’s womb.” (27Feb. 2006)

Suggested reading: “Forbidden Grief” byBurke and Reardon; “Aborted Women,Silent No More” by David Reardon (LoyolaUniv. Press); “A Greater Vision” by JoanUlicny, “Helping Women Recover fromAbortion” by Nancy Michels (BethanyHouse); “Women Who Make the WorldWorse, and How Their Radical FeministAssault is Ruining our Schools, Families,Military, and Sports” by Kate O’Beirne.

much vital energy gushing forthcontinuously from the bosom of the Fatherto continually generate the earth! It is aperpetual motion that cannot be haltedbecause God is the source of life which iseternally open. We can admire it in thefleeting life of a flower, or centuries-oldtrees that watch, immobile, as generationscome and go. It can be admired in animals,and we can be surprised and fascinated bythe variety of species, and even more soby the knowledge that it was entrusted toman that he might draw life from life.

In these creatures, however, life begins

and after a certain period of time – be itlong or short – life comes to an end. Notso in man. Life is a free gift, that onceconceived will never end. Our earthly lifecomes to an end, when our bodies ceaseto function, but our life continues in thateternal dimension hidden in the mysterywhich has been revealed to us throughJesus Christ and is the foundation of ourfaith.

The technical and scientific progress of

today has allowed man to delve ever moredeeply into the secrets of life, but at whatprice? and who will pay the price?

If we are honest, we know the answer.

Embryos never born, considered notsuitable to be planted in a uterus that didn’tgenerate them, are the objects of frequentexperiments. Their destiny? Manipulationand the market. Wasted life, such as thechildren who are conceived, not wanted andeliminated, as though they were merely “aproblem.” The number of abortions everyminute all over the world is enormous.Our world, created that life might abound,continues to generate death.

The means of killing our little ones

have continued to become more immediateand even “home-made” such as the muchdiscussed abortion pill (RU486), designed- it has been said - to spare women thetrauma of surgical abortion, but no doubtto shift the responsibility from those whoperform abortions entirely onto the womenof their unwanted babies. In truth, all it does

conceived child is merely a blood clot.Medical indications describe an “expulsionof embryonic tissue,” omitting that a life isbeing suppressed.

It is one of the many lies behind which

is hidden the father of lies, Satan, knownalso as the great accuser. Women will be leftwith all the responsibility and inevitablefeelings of guilt. Another great lie is callingcontraception (that which counteractsconception) what is instead abortion. Yet,manufacturers publish the facts on theabortifacient nature of contraceptives, suchas IUD’s and other methods, and includingthe contraceptive pill. Official statistics tellus that the pill does not always impedeovulation, so that when conception occursthe hostile environment of the uterus createdby the “contraceptive” impedes nidation /implantation of a zygote (a human baby atits youngest stage). This means that thenewly conceived child, deprived of nutrition,will die soon afterwards.

It is especially from women that a cry

of alarm is being raised, particularly bywomen who under various circumstanceshave had to get rid of an unwantedpregnancy. It is a critical moment and thewould be mother is extremely vulnerable.The devil knows this and exploits thesituation, and oft times the mother becomesjust as much a victim as her child. But inher heart the burden and the memory remain.But if she opens the door to God - who islife and light - He can transform thesorrowful event into an occasion ofredemption, for herself, her child, and forothers.

S.C.

John Paul II: “I would like to say a

special word to women who have had anabortion. The Church is aware of the manyfactors which may have influenced yourdecision, and she does not doubt that inmany cases it was a painful and evenshattering decision. The wound in yourheart may not yet have healed. Certainlywhat happened was and remains terriblywrong. But do not give in to dis-couragement and do not lose hope. Try

The Way that leads to Heaven

able to experience Christ Himself sufferingwith and in us. Yet, despite this we still resistwith might and rebellion before unexpectedsuffering. At times our will is stronger, all thesame Christianity should not be confused withstoicism or a state of remaining unperturbedbefore sorrow and pain.

If on the earth we shall always have to

encounter suffering, we must not forget thatthe Lord promises us complete joy andfullness of life. Does awakening to the call toparticipate in the continuous suffering of allHis members mean we are also called tobecome witnesses of authentic good news?

How to reconcile all this?

Profound and constant contemplation of

the Lord’s passion is the answer. Throughcontemplation of the folly of love that urged

One is the way the Lord trod to redeem

us, one is the way that He indicated asbringing salvation. There is no other way. AChristian is one who knows how to recognizethis narrow way, and will say yes to Him in aworld that seeks it but refuses to understandthe meaning of suffering, and is scandalizedat every cross.

“Dear Children, from the cross

come great graces.”

If - out of love of God - we have been

able at times to embrace our little crosses thatlife deals out, then we have surely experiencedthat these were the most fertile moments inour spiritual life, moments of renewal in ajourney towards a new light, in which we were

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the eternal and infinie God to allow Himselfto be slain for our sake, one is given theinner strength to handle the contradiction.This person will feel ever more closelydrawn to the love - insane, uncontrolled anduncontrollable - of God: Creator, Redeemerand fount of every good.

Contemplation is more than human

reflection; it is looking and understandingwith the heart; it is perceiving from within;being united to divine sentiments, andletting oneself be involved in a livingrelationship with the suffering Christ. Hefor first travelled down this road of His ownfree will. Out of love He asks us to followHim. To follow, or to decide for Himdoesn’t mean to attract to self every formof suffering, but it means to live incommunion with Him everything thatcomes our way. All we have to do is uniteeverything that we live to Jesus Christ.Only then shall we discover that Love leadsto sacrifice, and sacrifice to freedom!

The gift of Krizevac

As we reflect on all this we can better

comprehend the fact that here atMedjugorje Mary gave us the gift ofKrizevac: the highest of the hillssurrounding Medjugorje. Very specialgraces are connected with this hill uponwhich pilgrims practise the Way of theCross.

What a gift to be able to meditate the

Way of the Cross as we climb this steepand rocky hill, where every single stepbehind Jesus is a step closer to Heaven.The Lord draws us to Himself; He callsus to the heights. Through following Himalong the way of sacrificial love, of lovetotally offered up for the salvation of theworld, we come close to Heaven, in aplace never before known. From here ourview is greatly widened, and with a newgaze we can look back upon the journeyso far and intuit how much He has alwaysbeen close to us. We shall see that it isbecause He has loved us so much that Helead us to such heights. And we shallfinally understand the salvific value ofevery suffering offered up and overcomein union with Christ.

Awaiting us is another cross, but it will

not upset or intimidate us. We shallrecognize in the cross the door that leadsto the new dimensions of man transfiguredby love; we shall recognize the cross as asign of extreme love, a fount of life andresurrection, the cross atop of the holymountain to be a blessing and protectionfor the whole world, and for the redeemedpeople a sign of belonging to God. Unitedto this cross we can truly be a livingblessing for all that we touch and feel.

What a grace to be a part of this cross!

We do not want even the smallest of ourdaily crosses to be taken from us, for thecross alone fulfils and seals our true andintimate union with God. F. Cavagna

pregnancy hasn’t been going according toprevisions, and I’ve been confined to totalrest. But I’ve seen how this condition ofimmobility regards my body only, whilemy spirit has been able to broaden outcontinually. So this has been a time of gracefor me, because love has two sides to it.There is the joy and the enthusiasm ofgiving, even though this is accompanied bythe cross, but it is when the cross isaccepted, that our joy is even deeper. Then,everything is okay. It seems as though lifeshould be always downhill to be true – orthat’s how we imagine it. However, I amcoming to understand ever more howsuffering is our true life. So I can say thatright now I am living this “true life.”

You mean the cross should be a kind ofpermanent fixture?

The cross is inevitable, but when it is

accepted as an element of love, then it takeson so much more meaning and becomesmore bearable, I would say even inexistent- or at least the negative charge we feel isgreatly lessened.

My suffering of now is not marked by

great pain; it’s rather an experience of beingunable to “produce” according to thementality of modern day society, for which“being” equals nothing. No one asks whoyou are… you asked me who I am!

Maternity, rather than doing, is being,

and at present I am living this state ofbeing. Mary gives us her example. Herlife was a life of prayer, spent listeningto the Word, at disposal of the Wordwhom she bore in her womb. Though shecooperated with Him, it was the Son’swork. Suffering places us in this truevision of life, where we depend entirelyon the Lord, where it is He who works,and has everything under control

So what is the correct attitude to assumewhen we suffer?

There are three possible approaches.

The first is when a person feels he iscrushed by suffering and seeks to resist andfight back. In this case, the person becomesaggressive, even unbearable, for thosearound him because he wants at all coststo control his own life. The second optionis to feel so crushed as to become passive.The person refuses to cooperate andbecomes depressed.

The third option is what I would call a

type of “dance” where it is necessary forthe person to collaborate. In this dance you

feel yourself being carried up by God’senergy: the source of this energy is notyours, as it is God who leads. You, however,are not passive, not a puppet being pulledaround by God. An interaction takes place.I think suffering must be lived thus, as adance together with the Holy Spirit. Heinspires you, shows you the steps, and you– through following Him – express an actof will. This way, suffering need not belived as something destructive, or as adefeat. It is important that we neither resignourselves nor want to impose our will onour lives, otherwise we would findourselves fighting against God.

Mary often refers to suffering assomething to be lived as an offering toGod. Man, though, is afraid ofsuffering. In a world that teaches us toavoid and even anaesthetize it, thewords of Mary come to counteract thisidea, they come as a medicine. Whatwould you say?

I recently read a book by Benedict

XVI called Maria, Chiesa Nascente. A lotof its expressions are still impressed in mymind, and I want to use them to say whatI’m thinking. You know, without Mary theChurch would be nothing more than anorganization of persons, and peoples, whotry to make a project work. Mary, instead,helps us to understand who the Churchreally is. She is the Church-bride, theChurch who listens, the Church who in acertain way subjects herself – even thoughthis word is not very popular today. Inshort, the Church is aware of beingbetrothed to Christ, not an autonomousChurch that’s “in business.” That is whyMary at Medjugorje asks us above all tolearn from the Bridegroom, to letourselves be led by Him, as she did.

In this perspective Mary becomes thecentral figure in the life of the Church.

Yes, and without Mary our spirituality

would risk being mere activism. Only shecan teach us to pray. These days prayer isin a crisis, as is listening with the heart toGod. So it is right that she should come toteach us again. Without Mary we cannotbe what we ought to be! So rather than“doing” prayer, perhaps we should learnsomething from Mary’s way of being. Sheis a sign of what each of us should bebefore God. I think it is a great injusticeto be deprived of Mary. We need her.

Many people say they can’t praybecause they lack the time. However,you say that Mary asks us to be“contemplatives” in the world. How canwe do this?

I want to refer to the Pope’s book

again, when he speaks of the dimensionof motherhood without which the worldcould not survive. The problem is that therole of motherhood is almost completely

Your Cross, by St Francis de Sales

The everlasting God has in His wisdomforeseen from eternity the cross thatHe now presents to you as a gift fromHis inmost heart.

5

disfigured in today’s world, because all ofthe tasks that were once a mother’s havebeen removed from her in one way oranother, due to a distorted vision of societythat makes one believe that if the womancannot “produce” she has no worth, anddoes not consider that certain aspects offemininity are fundamental for thecollective growth. In his book the HolyFather says that there are some things thatneed only grow, and someone must watchover that growth.

So the role of the woman in the Churchis fundamental in her capacity to makethings grow, besides generating them.

I don’t think women need to take on

men’s roles. Perhaps men need to learn whothe woman really is, because before Godeach soul is almost feminine. I don’t meanto get philosophical, but I do see that beforeGod the soul is receptive, disposed, andwelcoming. Women, then, don’t have towithdraw or feel useless in society. Theyonly need to profoundly be themselves tobe able to save the world.

It’s what Pope Benedict says in his

book: if everything was just activism, thosethings that only need to grow - for examplea child in the womb, or a flower - couldnot exist because they would be suffocatedby activism. Without motherhood, withoutMary, there would be no prayer. Withoutprayer one loses time. That is whymotherhood is not attractive for many,because they consider time spent talkingwith your child is time lost.

So the Church needs people willing to“lose time”?

Someone in a hurry cannot have a

fertile spiritual life. If a mother’srelationship with her children is rushed shecannot live her motherhood properly.Children need their parent’s union morethan they need bread. Today we worryabout houses and things – not that this isn’tgood – but the interior life is practicallyignored.

Our world reminds me of a silent film:

there are events that we see, but we can’tsee the real meaning of things because wedon’t listen to God’s voice in us. We livelife badly because we don’t realize thathuman relations – which mirror ourrelationship with God – are the mostimportant thing on this earth.

Why do you think relationships clash?

I think because we cultivate our own

projects, which at times can be obsessions;and because we’re obsessed with reachinga certain point without ever listening tothe Holy Spirit, or to others. We reallyneed to be in harmony with God and withthose around us. We can’t have everythingthe way we want them.

I would say that it would be better to

prefer the other to self. I know it’s veryhard, but when we treat others this way,they too begin to treat us in the same way.So it’s for our own good, really. Weconcern ourselves with our own things,without considering that only good canconquer the heart of another. The more weare allied, the more this good grows alsowithin us.

Mary has prepared us over these years,and she desires that her children todaybe ready. Habit can weaken one’s initialzeal. What would you say to thosewho’ve responded to her call”?

I would say that prayer must dilate the

heart; and that often the heart is insteadclosed. Love is missing. The wine ismissing, like at Cana. Gradually, one tiresalong the journey. We have to trust OurLady; believe that she told us the truth;and we shouldn’t doubt, or lose our faith.I see that often people feel isolated, as ifdeciding for God meant withdrawal.Instead, when you decide for God youenter into the heart of the world. The worlddesires God, but it’s like an immature childthat can’t hear the voice of its parent.

You’ve been in Rome for many years

now. How do you relate withMedjugorje today?

For me Medjugorje is not a place, but

a state of being. Before I spoke of a silentfilm, whereas I think of Medju as a filmwith a very deep sound, and where thereis great awareness of life and life’sdestination. Here, instead, there’s noconscience; we don’t know where we’regoing. We’re going, but without knowingwhere. Medjugorje is this awareness ofGod in us, where it is normal for everyoneto think that God is with us, despite allthe limits that exist. I’ve noticed that atMedju love remains always, even if peopleweren’t to speak well of each other, behindthere is still this love which is committing.Here instead it seems that there is a totalnon-commitment, in everything!

What is your mission?

It’s not a profession, that’s for sure.

Not even an activity which I don’t thinkI’ll ever take up. Probably, I think I’llespecially live the Incarnation in everyaspect of my life and be in a certain sensea bridge. I wouldn’t like this to sound toovain, but lately I’ve been thinking that allof us should be like Mary, in that she is amirror of God’s work, so that the worldmight believe in this Presence. In short,I’d like to realize the Christian life: thatis, lead an ordinary life that is alsoextraordinary. In other words, make thosechoices that the world by now findsprofoundly disturbing.

Do you have a word for the Church oftoday?

I strongly feel the universality of the

Church. I think that we have a very bigfamily, and that we can’t close ourselvesup in our own little family. I am a motherof children, but I see how they share mysame destiny, which is to be a part of thisbig family. So the word you ask for is:love!

(interviewed by S.C.)

Fr. Divo Barsotti

returns to the Father

Years ago Fr. Barsotti hadagreed to grant me an

interview for the Echo of Mary, but due tohis illness I put it off. While I regret doingthat, I am consoled knowing he is evencloser now that he is freed of his body andcan communicate via the Spirit. “It is ratherrelative that the wall of the body shouldimpede us from being together. Our unionwith God (Father) is not in the experienceof our senses, but in Christ who united usto Himself and wanted us to be one Bodywith Him,” he had written before fallingsick.

Fr. Divo Barsotti departed for heaven

on 15 February in his house Casa SanSergio, the little hermitage in the hills ofFlorence and home for his Community ofthe Children of God which he founded in1948. “He was a priest, mystic, writer,theologian, preacher, counsellor and

spiritual father, and founder of aCommunity that now counts more than2,000 members and is present in variousparts of the world. Despite this, there wasonly one thing that he wanted: to seekGod,” said Card. Antonelli at the funeral.“He would often say that death doesn’texist, and if it does it is only as a medicinethat once and for all opens us up into God’sinfinite love. The older he got the more hefelt he was living. The peace and joy thathe radiated with increasing intensitytestified most splendidly that for him deathwas the fulfilment of life.”

The deepest memory lies with his

Children who accompanied him over theyears, and in their collection of teachingsand writings (more than 500 bookspublished), memories and especially hisfatherly love that was never lacking. “Havetrust. Death does not frighten me… I amleaving you only apparently. Really, I amwith you more than before,” he said in thelast message which he dictated a fewmonths before he died to his successor Fr.

Serafino Tognetti. “I will not abandonanyone,” he continued. “I exhort you to beunited; do not doubt, do not be dispersed,do not be discouraged…”

Touching words that each of us can

make his own, for they bear within themthe concern of the shepherd who knowshow to protect his fold and guarantee greenpastures for his sheep. They are words thatbear the mark of a man who “knows theway home” and who for all his life soughtcomplete union with God: “I live inconstant anxiety, an ever growing yearningto reach Him.”

We entrust him to Our Lady to whom

the 20 year-old Divo professed his act ofoffering: “I desire for my entire life to bean act of love for you, my sweet Queen,and as proof of my love for you, beginningfrom this instant I offer myself entirely toyou, together with all my belongings, andI offer myself to God as a victim ofholocaust, with supplications that Hemight consume me ever more in His love.”

Editor

6

Why Are You Afraid?

not up to us to judge. In a waythe responsibility is ours becausewhen fear begins to get a hold onus it means that there is

Perhaps Christ would say this to us

today. In the Gospel, at the time when Hewas walking in the midst of men, He oftensaid: Do not be afraid! (Mt 28:10);Courage, it is I, do not be afraid! (Mk6:50); There is no need to be afraid, littleflock (Lk 12:32); Do not be afraid, onlyhave faith! (Mk 5:36).

He was the long-awaited Messiah; the

people got to know him and his newteaching gradually. But we, Christians oftoday, have known him for centuries. Wehave countless experiences that witness tothis truth: if Jesus is with us there isnothing to be afraid of! So why do weallow fear - under its various forms – toshamelessly invade our inner spaces? Whydo we harbour fear that tangles and bindsus, removing our peace? Above all, whydo we allow others to subjugate us bymanipulating our fear? If man was createdto be free, we must know that fear is oneof the shrewdest robbers!

Why and where fear is born, I know

not. There is no doubt an abundance oftexts on the subject. Many are the causesand factors for which a fear, whengenerated, remains hidden within us. Itwould be interesting to know more.However, here we are concerned with theinner mechanisms that impede the soulfrom growing in wisdom and grace (cf.Lk 2:40) according to the leading of theHoly Spirit.

It is not rare that some like to hold

others in their power, and to exercise thatpower they touch on our vulnerable spotsthrough awakening our fears. If they aresuccessful, it means that our fears arerooted there where we are most exposed.

Whose is the fault? Certainly, those

who exploit our fragility do wrong, but it’s

structures, and arid institutionalism that wecling to when we are fearful.

What is the first step? Begin by

stripping ourselves of our interests: of thewill to keep something for ourselves at allcosts, or of wanting to self-manage ourlives, possessions, and personal relations.If we truly trusted God we would let Himgovern everything. If something is meantto be for our good, He will defend it.Instead, if we do not need it anymore, Hewill remove it, but only to give ussomething better. And we will see that ourfears have no reason to exist, and they willvanish like smoke which is all they are.

Surrendered to God we shall no

longer need to fight to keep our goods,but shall be serene and free. Then, we shallbegin to be our true selves, without themask of harshness of one who has toprotect his treasure, or of the victim whofeels he has suffered injustice. It ispreferable to put up with injustice thatcomes from without while being free onthe inside, than to be free externally whilstbeing imprisoned by terror on the inside.

Poverty of spirit is thus the true

antidote to fear. Poverty of spirit is thathealthy detachment that enables us to seethe fleetingness of life, helping us to fixour gaze on the eternity of God who awaitsus. Vast horizons will be opened beforeus in which we will perceive enticingnovelties, those which could not blossombecause their place had been occupied byold things we didn’t want to renounce.

Why are you afraid, Christians of

the third millennium? You have the keysto science, the secrets of technology,millennia of history behind you, yet yourlife is enveloped by fear! When we uniteourselves to Jesus, who came to free us,our existence is transformed into a“monstrance of hope” - as Fr. Tonino Bellowould say. Others will not delay to notice,and they will want to know more.

Stefania Consoli

This is a Time of Grace!

by Giuseppe Ferraro

From the unfathomable depth of the

mystery of the Incarnation, the fullness ofGod’s life entered into time. From that momenton a process of recapitulation of the entirecreation began within the history of the worldin the glorified flesh of the Risen One. Thiswill culminate in the “handing over of thekingdom of God the Father (after) having doneaway with every sovereignty, authority andpower” (1Cor 15:24).

Thus, the work of salvation will

necessarily have to be fulfilled within thetime that belongs to the history of mankind.Time is, in fact, a dimension essential to theexpression of the salvific action of grace.Even in the antique book of Qoheleth(Ecclesiastes) we read: “All things have theirseason…” (Qo 3:1) and we know that when“the appointed time came God sent his Son,born of a woman… to enable us to beadopted as sons” (Gal 4:4).

In her messages the Queen of Peace

insistently refers to the special tonality ofthis time, marked in an extraordinary way by

the grace of Her presence in the world. “Thistime is a time of grace and I desire for youthat the grace be great” (message 25 June1989), “God grants me this time as a gift foryou” (25 Aug. 1997).

This time is in fact charged with special

graces; a time in which God entrusts Marywith a mission that will determine the futureof humanity, for which she is calling herchildren to take a new and decisive step: “Idesire that you all be active too in this time,which through me is bound to Heaven in aspecial way,” (Mess. 25.05.1996). A greatepoch-making passover that already shineswith the light of the new heavens and newearth, appears on the splendid horizon ofChrist’s fulfilled regality in hearts and allcreation: “For he must be king… so that Godmay be all in all” (1Cor 15:25-28): “DearChildren, God grants me this time as a gift toyou, so that I might instruct you and lead youon the path of salvation” (Mess. 25.08.1997).“Increase your prayers because youparticularly need to in these last times”(1.08.1990).

But what is this absolutely

extraordinary grace that God is offeringhis children in this time? It is the possibility

of joining Mary to become vessels of God’slife and love for the entire universe! It is givento those who lovingly respond to the call ofthe Mother. It is for this that God the Creator,through Mary, is calling ranks of children toallow themselves to be interiorly transformedby the action of the Holy Spirit, till their lifeand hearts are completely fused into Mary’sImmaculate Heart, so that through Mary theycan be united to the burning Heart of the Lambwho was slain. For He alone, through Hisregal offering, is able to definitely break theseals of death that still shut off multitudes ofsouls from the gift of divine life, and to ransom“for God.. with his blood… men of every race,language, people and nation” (Rev 5:9), that“everything is subjected to him… so that Godmay be all in all” (1 Co 15:28): “This is aspecial time; for this I am with you, to bringyou closer to my Heart and to the Heart ofmy Son Jesus. My dear Children, I desire thatyou be children of the light and not of thedarkness. Therefore, live what I tell you.”

The fulfilment of all this, by divine

disposition, passes through the “triumph ofMary’s Immaculate Heart” (announced atFatima) and the establishment of her regalityover the universe: “Dear Children, help my

something in uswe fear to lose.

This is the point! The coffer where

we keep our interests and property tightlylocked up is threatened. No matter howlegitimate it is to have these, we are facedwith the fear of losing: work, house, wife,rights, reasons and health, withoutmentioning our very life. These are allholy things, but what do we do with theassuring words of Our Lord? Do we reallybelieve or do we leave them on the pewsof our Sunday Mass?

We must realize that at the beginning

of this century there lurks in the air asubtle and sordid desire for the controlof all humanity by forces more or lessmanifest, that nurtures a climate ofinstability and fear. The news medias seemmore like scaremongers. No one tells us:Do not be afraid! Rather, out of love forsensationalism they tend to foster in usinsecurity, discouragement and mistrust ina world where “anything could happen tous,” resulting in us continually “lookingback over our shoulders” as we try to geton with our lives.

“Man, who has snatched your

hope?” I heard this at a recent seminar,and it seems appropriate, except that weshould replace “man” with “Christian,”meaning those who have adhered to theGospel of hope (cf. 1Pt 3:15), and havebelieved.

We will not resolve anything if we wait

for this system, which has contaminated theglobe, to change, for if this is its criteria itcan only get worse. We can, however, beginto work on ourselves, by offering ourselvesup into the hands of the Lord so He canturn us into yeast (cf. Mt 13:33 ) that isable to make the mass grow so much that itbreaks through the rigid walls of thecontainer: that is, the conventions,

Immaculate Heart that it may triumph in asinful world” (25 Sept. 1991). In this specialtime (“this time is my time”, mess. 25 Jan.1997) Mary calls her “dear children” thathave been chosen from eternity to become“citizens with all the saints, and part of God’shousehold… a house where God lives, in theSpirit” (Eph 2:19) to the fundamentalpriestly, prophetic and regal service ofaccompanying the entire creation to the samepaschal passover that the Son fulfilled onceand for all in the “hour” which was writtenin the heart of the Father and must nowinvolve the entire universe: “Dear Children,I want you to understand that God haschosen each of you in His plan of salvationfor mankind. You cannot understand howgreat your person is in the plan of God”(Message 25 Jan. 1987).

It is only in considering this ineffable

dawning of grace that we can understandthe true meaning of that part of the messageof the Queen of Peace - of more intenseapocalyptic tones - where she announcesthe secrets, in reference to events whichwill be decisive for the future of the world,and the great visible sign that will remainin Medjugorje after the apparitions havefinished: “This time before the visible sign,is a time of grace for believers. Therefore,convert and deepen your faith! When thereis the visible sign it will be already too latefor many” (23 Dec. 1982); “Here there aresecrets, my Children! It is not known whatthey are, but when it will be known it willbe late! Return to prayer! Nothing is moreimportant than (prayer). I would like theLord to allow me to clarify at least in partthe secrets; but, the graces that He offersyou are already too many.” (Message toMirjana 28.01.1987).

The extraordinary grace of the Mother

of God’s presence thus is part of a greaterplan of salvation destined to involve all souls,and since it is mysteriously connected withit, the entire creation which is “groaning intravail until now” (Rom 8:22). It will be, infact, through the free response of love by thosechildren that She is calling in this time, thatthe fire of Trinitarian Love will reach all thespiritual places in the universe and consumeevery shadow of death and sin. Then from thesame dark night of suffering, pain and death,will bud the paschal light of the new heavensand new earth that radiates irresistibly fromthe glory of the Risen One.

Happy are those who will have fully

accepted the nuptial gift of the call that theFather addresses to His children in time ofgrace! These will be spared the bitterness ofthe time of purification, the “way of the cross”the world must ascend, a passover necessaryto the universe that it might be fullytransfigured by the pure Love of the MostHigh. These then will be called to shine withthe same uncreated light of the Mother of God,to become - with Her and as Her - guide andsign of sure hope and salvation for themultitude of brethren still immersed in thedarkness. The names of these are written inthe Heart of the Father since eternity, andwithout tiring He waits to embrace them inthe New Creation and unite them eternally tothe glorious chant of the redeemed: “We givethanks to thee, Lord God Almighty, who artand who wast, that thou has taken thy greatpower and begun to reign” (Rev 11:17).

Humble at Heart

“Learn from me, because I am meek and

humble of heart: and you shall find rest foryour souls” (Mt 11,29).

With His birth in a stable, with His

earthly life and His death on a cross, Jesusmade it clear for all that He is Humble ofheart.

Jesus is the Humble of heart that dons

man’s clothing, and we can see Him - ifwe look carefully - in the people weencounter every day: in the needy, lonelypeople, in any person, rich or poor.

Jesus is the Humble of heart who

continually gives, He especially givesHimself to us, He makes Himself little forus, so that we can call Him brother andfriend. He doesn’t give to crush or mortifyus, or to exert His supremacy over us, butto elevate us and draw us to Himself, tocreate communion.

We cannot live a life fit for heaven if

we are not humble, in the imitation of JesusChrist. May Jesus, Humble of heart,therefore make us humble and help us seethat when we seek to impress and to bepraised, we are impoverished because wedon’t give to God what is His.

May Jesus who said: “Learn from me

because I am meek and humble of heart,”make us see how we are foolish when weseek our own glory rather than God’s. MayHe make us see how a proud person doesnot build up anything, but destroyseverything, including himself. May He helpus discover that not so much what we sayor do has worth, but what we are. May Hemake us ever more similar to Him, theHumble One; and may He help us discoverthe treasure for which it is worthwhilesacrificing everything.

Pietro Squassabia

* Request for Rosary beads, etc.

1) Fr. Vittorio Grigoletto, Murungaru CatholicParish, P.O. Box 410, 20117 Naivasha,Kenya, Africa. “I receive continuous requestsfor Rosary beads for my Christians andcatechumens. On their behalf I humbly appealfor rosary beads of any type, even used,crucifixes, and images of Our Lady. I invokeupon you and those who shall help us theblessing of the Virgin Mary, our Mother.”

Fr. Stefano Maria, Bologna Italy: Praisedbe Jesus Christ! I am an Olivetan Benedictinemonk. I’d like to witness that the reading ofyour holy spiritual journal had more than aminor role in my response to the vocation.God bless all your efforts and dedication!

Fr. Felipe Quineche, Peru: Warm greetingsin the Name of Christ Jesus and Mary ourmother. With immense joy I communicatethat I was ordained a priest for the Diocese on25 July 2005. I have been receiving theEcho for many years, and it has been ablessing for my life and the life of manyothers. As a priest I continue the preciouswork of spreading this paper. I am nowworking in a mission in the dioceseof Callao, a missionary zone of extremepoverty where there is an abundantproliferation of sects, and where the churchhas just begun its work. I believe thismagazine will be of great help to these peoplewho are so much in need. My blessings!

Sr. M.Gregory Rosa, Zanzibar, Tanzania:I am very grateful for the magazine I havebeen receiving all these years. I have sincemade my first trip to Medjugorje and I wasvery much impressed and touched by theattendance of so many thousands and theirreligious spirit. I myself never prayed as muchas I did during that pilgrimage. It is my prayerthat all may have the opportunity to makethis pilgrimage at least once in their life time.God is so good to have allowed our Motherto visit us all these years! May Peopleeverywhere respond to her invitation to pray,reconcile and fast!

ECHO is on line at: www.ecodimaria.net

e-mail: info@ecodimaria.net

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Our Prayers for you! - On the firstSaturday of each month we offer up toGod prayers for readers’ intentions. Oncea month Fr. Alberto also celebrates a HolyMass for the same intentions.

May the Lord bless you, and Our Lady keepyou! And may Fr. Angelo on this his 6thanniversary, intercede for you!